


in your bloodstream (a collision of atoms)

by mullettj



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Spider-Man Fusion, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Cities, Let T. J. Kippen Swear, M/M, Training
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-05-28 09:43:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19391524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mullettj/pseuds/mullettj
Summary: Cyrus just isn't in the swing of things yet.There might be someone who can help with that, though.





	1. leap of faith

**Author's Note:**

> i just really love spider-man and tyrus so obviously i had to write a fic about it (you don't have to know anything about the comics/multiverse to understand this by any means, but if you do feel free to nerd out with me)
> 
> the title is from a [song](https://youtu.be/q_Xffs6o-Vo) as usual because that's just who i am
> 
> also shoutout to my amazing beta [alex](http://thebipanfangirl.tumblr.com) because i love her for putting up with me uwu

Cyrus is terrified of heights. So terrified, in fact, that when he was a kid and he'd go to the playground for recess he couldn't even swing higher than a foot off the ground without sweating from sheer panic.

So it's really unfortunate that he's currently standing halfway off the edge of the roof of the 10-story building he lives in.

How did he get here? He isn't entirely sure. In a metaphorical sense, anyway. He knows how he got here in a literal sense; he just took the stairs to the top floor (three floors directly above his apartment, to be specific) and then walked out onto the roof like it didn't immediately make him hyperventilate. Like he isn't still hyperventilating as he looks out at the city skyline, listening to the cars rushing below him. God, he's so high up.

The _why_ he ended up here is a lot more confusing. Long story short, he landed this amazing internship at a prestigious research facility downtown, and it was super fun and he learned a lot, not to mention it'll look great on college applications, but that's not the important part. The thing that actually changed his life happened on the last day of the semester, his last time stepping foot in the lab.

Up to that point, they hadn't actually let him handle any of the specimens, mostly because they were afraid of letting some high school kid mess with stuff and accidentally ending up with a contaminated vial or something. But, on the last day, Cyrus was taking a picture with his attending researcher for their website, and he begged their supervisor to let him hold one of the spiders he'd been helping monitor for the past four months. The supervisor agreed after a lot of heckling, as long as they kept the spider contained in one of the little glass boxes they use to transport the specimens.

Except the dumb thing got out of its fucking box. Cyrus has no idea how, but one second it was safe in its tiny glass prison and the next it was sinking its stupid sharp fangs into the webbing of his hand between his thumb and pointer finger. Obviously he didn't let anyone know what happened, just shook it back into the box and held it closed tighter, but at this moment he's kind of wishing he would've made a bigger deal out of it because that spider bite has prompted some really concerning changes in his body.

And like, he knows correlation does not equal causation, okay? He literally _just_ got done shadowing one of the best researchers in the country, and even before that he had enough common sense to realize that just because it looks too straightforward to be a coincidence doesn’t mean it isn’t. Sometimes weird shit just happens.

But not shit _this_ weird. He woke up the next day considerably taller than he was before (which really just means he's average height now, because he's always been on the small side) and way more athletic than his level of physical activity could ever account for. He has actual biceps now, what the fuck. He isn't entirely sure why a spider bite would suddenly turn him into a jock (at least physically, anyway) but, well. Here he is.

And if that wasn't convincing enough, there's also the fact that he basically turned into a human spider. He doesn't have eight limbs, or anything, but he's definitely a lot better at climbing walls than physics should allow and suddenly he can shoot webbing out of his wrists. He doesn't really get why it comes out of his wrists, of all places, but that particular detail is pretty low on his list of priorities right now.

He also gets this weird tingly feeling every now and then, almost like a hunch but so much stronger, like his brain just knows when something bad is going to happen, even if nothing seems awry at the time. Like he doesn't have enough anxiety as it is. It’s kind of freaking him out.

Fast forward two weeks, and here he is, standing on top of his building in the least form-fitting hoodie he could find in an attempt to hide as much of himself as possible. His logic for doing this is - well, he doesn't really know. Maybe it's that stupid sixth sense he has that told him to jump off a building. In hindsight he's never been sure he should listen to it, but right now he's wondering if it's actively trying to get him killed. Can hunches get people killed? Is this even comparable to a hunch? Maybe he's hearing shit, maybe he needs to ask his shrink parents about this.

His (quickly derailing) train of thought is interrupted by a soft thump off to his right, and when he turns he sees some dude in spandex walking toward him. He’s wearing a red suit, with a ripped up blue hoodie over it, and a big black spider on his chest. The sleeves of the hoodie are cut off, but the hood is still intact and flipped up over the guy’s head. Cyrus doesn't know why he bothered with the hood, really, because he's wearing a mask anyway so it's not like it's doing anything to hide his face like Cyrus hopes his own hood is. He's also got a belt wrapped around his waist and matching cuffs on his wrists, plus little pouches strapped to his ankles, and Cyrus doesn't know how to feel about that one. He could have anything in there.

By the time Cyrus is done ogling him and trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, the guy is standing right in front of him. “Hey, dude, you don't wanna do this,” he says softly. “Or I mean, you do, I guess, but you shouldn't.”

Cyrus looks at him like he's insane, which he probably is, all things considered. “Who even are you?” he asks, instead of addressing any of the larger issues at hand. Like what this guy thinks he's doing on a roof. Or why he's wearing so much spandex. Or where he came from.

“Oh, fuck, my bad. I’m the Scarlet Spider.” He sticks his hand out, which Cyrus takes tentatively. The Scarlet Spider uses this opportunity to pull Cyrus off the edge and into his arms.

Cyrus huffs. “Could you _please_ let me go?” he asks as he struggles to get out of the Scarlet Spider’s grip. It's a futile attempt. The dude is way stronger than he looks.

“Nope,” he says, popping the “p” like the annoying little shit he seems to be. “Not till you promise you won't jump.”

That's when it clicks. Cyrus rolls his eyes. “Oh my god, you think I’m trying to kill myself?”

The Scarlet Spider hesitates for a half a second before going back to normal. Or what Cyrus guesses is normal for him, anyway. “Aren't you?” His eyes get wide as he realizes how that sounds. “Awh shit - no, wait, I didn't mean it like that! I just, I heard there was someone up here trying to jump, and I don't know why else somebody would want to jump off a fucking building so I thought -”

Cyrus rolls his eyes again. He’s starting to think the Scarlet Spider might be an idiot. “I’m not trying to commit suicide, god. I was just -” He cuts himself off, realizing how delusional he'll sound if he tells the truth. “And wait, even if I did want to kill myself, you did a horrible job of trying to talk me down.”

The Scarlet Spider squints at him for a good thirty seconds before he says anything. “Look, dude, I don't do this a lot. Usually I just beat up muggers and shit, I don't know how to keep people from hurting _themselves._ ”

“Well clearly you should learn, because if you ever meet anyone who's actually suicidal, talking to you is only gonna make them want to jump more.”

“Damn, you're sassy. I like that.” The Scarlet Spider finally lets him go, and Cyrus considers bolting right then and there but he thinks that would probably be really conspicuous. The Scarlet Spider takes a couple steps back, giving Cyrus some space, and folds his arms. “So tell me, what were you trying to do?”

Cyrus still doesn't know how to answer that. He weighs his options, glancing from the Scarlet Spider to the edge of the rooftop and back again. He takes a deep breath. “I think I might be like you.”

He can actually see the Scarlet Spider’s eyebrows shoot up underneath his mask, which should be impossible but there it is. “Like me? You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

Something dawns on Cyrus then. “Is that hoodie from Jefferson?” It's the exact same blue as Cyrus’ high school’s colours.

The Scarlet Spider takes a step closer, frowning. “Why?”

Cyrus shrugs. “If it is, then we go to the same school.”

“So?”

“So, we have a lot more in common than you may think.”

The Scarlet Spider sighs, tapping his foot against the gravel. “You're being really cryptic. Just tell me what you mean. How are you like me? And how the fuck would you know that anyway? You don't even know me.” He's getting defensive. Whoops. Maybe Cyrus shouldn't have pried so much.

Cyrus decides the best way to clear things up is to show him, so he runs to the edge of the roof and jumps.

He’s not even a foot in the air before the Scarlet Spider is tackling him, shooting a web and swinging them both back to safety on the roof of a different building. “I thought you said you didn't wanna jump!” He's clearly distressed, and refuses to let Cyrus go despite his struggling.

“I never said that, I said I didn't wanna die.”

“That's the same thing!” the Scarlet Spider protests, exasperated. Cyrus figures he probably doesn't have this much trouble convincing people to let him save them, for the most part.

“No, it really isn't. Just let me go and I'll show you.”

The Scarlet Spider eyes him, searching Cyrus’ face for any hint at what the fuck is going on. Eventually, he nods. “Fine. But I’m gonna save you, so brace yourself.”

Cyrus rolls his eyes again, moving the Scarlet Spider’s arms out of the way so he can walk to the edge of the roof. This building is taller than his apartment building, and he's stressed as all fuck, but if he doesn't do this now then he never will. He has the Scarlet Spider to save him if anything goes wrong, so now is the best time to be reckless.

Cyrus jumps. And for a split second, he thinks he might actually die. He's so high up, and the street below is so far away, and if he fell from this height there would be no coming back from that. But then he looks up, and he sees the endless sky, the lights of the city sparkling above him, and he thinks maybe this isn't so scary. Especially not when he locks eyes with the Scarlet Spider, who looks about a nanosecond away from jumping out to catch Cyrus and save him again.

It's now or never. Cyrus’ eyes dart around, searching for anything to aim at, and his gaze lands on a building off to the left that's about the same height as the one he just jumped off of. He sees the Scarlet Spider in his periphery, leaping off the roof to come save him, but Cyrus is already shooting a web at the building in front of him and swinging through the air right at the roof ahead.

He hears the Scarlet Spider whooping in surprise, and he can't make out the words but that's mostly because he's too busy laughing from the sheer adrenaline of it all. He's never felt this free. He's never _let_ himself be this free before.

Unfortunately, that becomes pretty obvious once he realizes that he isn't going to clear the rooftop. He didn't get the angle of his swing right, or maybe he didn't shoot the web high enough, but either way he's headed straight for a window. He braces himself for impact.

“Underdog!” he hears the Scarlet Spider yell, and suddenly he’s pushing Cyrus up higher as he swings in from behind.

He flies up, and the Scarlet Spider shouts at him to shoot a new web. He aims higher this time, and it connects, and then Cyrus is landing lightly on his feet on a new rooftop and taking a deep breath and he can see the whole city and it's absolutely magical.

“That was exhilarating!” he yells as the Scarlet Spider lands beside him. Cyrus almost wants to hug him, but he doesn't.

“So that's what you meant when you said you're like me?” the Scarlet Spider asks, and Cyrus nods, beaming at him. “You wanna be a hero?”

Cyrus purses his lips in thought. “I mean, I didn't really plan on trying it, but...I didn't really plan on any of this.”

The Scarlet Spider shrugs, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie, which are uneven. “You don't have to, but you might as well use it. This shit will make you restless real fast if you don't channel it somehow.”

Cyrus cocks his head, and he really looks at the Scarlet Spider for the first time. Maybe he does want to know more about him. “Will you teach me?” isn't what he plans to say, but his brain is too adrenaline flooded to really filter his thoughts properly.

“Of course I will, Underdog.” The Scarlet Spider sounds almost fond when he says it.

Cyrus shakes his head. “My name's Cyrus. Cyrus Goodman, maybe you know me from school?”

The Scarlet Spider freezes for a second, then he's walking toward Cyrus with a weirdly determined stance and Cyrus is stressed out again because what the fuck is he about to do?

He's definitely not expecting the Scarlet Spider to throw back his hood, pull his mask off and say, “Hey, Cyrus. I’m TJ Kippen. You might know me as captain of the basketball team.”

This night really could not get any weirder.


	2. elevate

It gets weirder.

Cyrus should have expected this, honestly, or at least considered it, but he's still thrown off when TJ Kippen himself sits at his lunch table on Monday. “Hey, Underdog,” he says lightly as he sets his muffin down on the table.

Cyrus blinks at him. “How did you get that muffin? I thought they were out.” Good one, Cyrus. Priorities.

TJ snorts. “I have my ways.” He breaks it in half, cocking an eyebrow at Cyrus. “Want some?”

Cyrus starts to say no, but his stomach growls like the traitor it is, so he just nods slowly. TJ hands him half of the muffin, smirking. “What?” Cyrus says, because he has no idea what goes on in TJ’s head.

“Nothing,” is all TJ says before switching gears so fast it gives Cyrus metaphorical whiplash. “I have something important to ask you.”

Cyrus looks at him funny. “Okay.”

TJ leans in closer, draping his arm around Cyrus’ shoulders and leaning into his side as he whispers, “What's your superhero name?”

Cyrus stares at him for a solid minute as TJ’s conspiratorial smile slowly slides off of his face. “I don't have one?” Cyrus eventually says, but it sounds more like a question. Should he have one?

“Why not?”

“I’m…not a superhero,” Cyrus clarifies, like that's necessary. It's pretty obvious he isn't the type to fight crime on the weekends. Isn't it?

“Well, no,” TJ agrees, and it stings for a second before he follows it with a, “but you could be.”

Cyrus jiggles his leg underneath the table, a nervous habit he's had since he was a kid. He wishes it would stop. “Could I?” he asks, because even if he's never pictured himself as much of the vigilante type, deep down everyone wants to save the world. Cyrus just always figured he'd do it by finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, or something. This is a much more direct route. (And a lot cheaper, too. Med school is ridiculous.)

“Fuck yeah you could,” TJ says, beaming at him. “I told you I'd help you.”

Cyrus considers it. On the one hand, it would be pretty amazing to be an actual, real life superhero like the ones he reads about in comics and sees on the news. Which, actually, hold on. Speaking of superheroes on the news… “Oh my god. You're the _Scarlet Spider_.”

TJ’s face instantly morphs into a look of panic, eyes going wide as he clamps a hand over Cyrus’ mouth. “Not so loud, Underdog, I don't want the whole fucking school to know.” Cyrus nods, and TJ drops his hand. “Plus, you already knew that.”

Cyrus shrugs, a little dazed. “I guess it never really sunk in till now. I’ve seen you on TV a couple times, and I -”

“Only a couple?” TJ sounds mildly offended. “I'm on the news at least once a week, and I do a ton more shit that they don't even cover. Do you even _know_ how many damn cats I’ve had to get out of trees for little old ladies only to realize it's not even their cat?”

“Uh,” Cyrus says intelligently. “No. I thought that only happened in movies.”

TJ lets out a breathy laugh. “You probably thought regular ass high schoolers becoming superheroes only happened in movies too, right?”

Cyrus nods, and TJ just gestures vaguely to the both of them, eyebrows raised. “Okay, okay. Point taken.” He rolls his eyes, but his smile ruins the effect. “Anyway, as I was saying, when I saw your alter ego on the news I never thought it would be someone I knew. Or, well, knew of.”

TJ’s stupid smirk is back. God. He's gotta be doing this on purpose. “You know me now.” Cyrus isn't sure if that's a good thing or not. He has a lot of combating emotions at the moment.

First there’s the fact that TJ Kippen has always been cute, and talented, and funny, and basically the perfect recipe for the surprisingly softhearted jock that Cyrus inevitably falls in love with only to find out he is, tragically, straight. And now, there's also the fact that TJ is the Scarlet Spider, which either makes him even more perfect or ruins the whole image, Cyrus can't decide which. Plus he's offering to help Cyrus join him in his masked late night escapades, which Cyrus is conflicted about for a _lot_ of reasons. Namely, he isn't sure if he even wants to be a superhero, or if he just wants to hang out with TJ, or both, or neither. It’s just a lot to take in. Especially in a crowded cafeteria.

Cyrus’ internal monologue is interrupted by TJ saying, “So, you in?”

Cyrus is probably going to regret this, but he takes a deep breath and says, “I’m in,” before he can talk himself out of it.

TJ’s smile is absolutely stunning. Like, seriously, it kind of hurts to look at it’s so enthusiastic. Cyrus fears for TJ’s facial muscles. “Sweet. Meet me on the roof tonight at 9?”

Cyrus gives him a much more subdued smile, but it's genuine all the same. “I’ll be there.”

TJ nods just as the bell rings, and they stand to put their trays back and throw away their trash. Once they're halfway out the double doors and into the hallway, TJ turns to him. “Is it cool if I bring someone? I want you to meet him.”

Cyrus has no fucking idea what _that_ could possibly be implying, but he’s quickly learning it’s best not to read too much into the things TJ says. Or well, he could, but he’d just be setting himself up for a lot of headaches. “Yeah, that's fine.”

“Cool,” TJ says as he swats him on the chest affectionately. “See you tonight, Underdog. Think about your hero name!”

Cyrus watches TJ meander off to his next class and wonders what he's just gotten himself into.

-

Cyrus still isn't sure he's cut out for this.

He's standing on his rooftop for the second time in a week, and it's way colder up here than it was the other night, and he's stressed because he doesn't know what TJ has planned or who he's bringing. Usually, Cyrus works out all the little details before he does anything, but TJ doesn't really seem to be the planning type of person. Cyrus just kind of got swept into all of this, not that he doesn't want to be here.

Well, he thinks he wants to be here. He’ll decide if that's true when it's over.

Either way, TJ lands on the roof just a few feet away just like he did last time, but tonight he isn't wearing his mask. Just the suit and the hood. “Hey,” he says nonchalantly as he walks up to Cyrus. “You ready?”

Cyrus doesn't know how to answer that. “Ready for what?”

“For training, duh,” TJ says with a sparkle in his eye that makes Cyrus think he's made a mistake for meeting TJ up here. He’s pretty instigating, after all.

“Uhm, sure,” Cyrus says super confidently and his voice totally doesn't crack, not at all.

“Awesome. What do you wanna do first?” TJ pulls on the strings of his hoodie, tightening the hood around his face while he thinks. Yeah, he's definitely an idiot. “We could do web swinging, or wall climbing - oh shit, we should do backflips!” He lets go of the strings, pulling his hood back so Cyrus can see his blinding smile.

“ _Backflips?_ ” Cyrus nearly chokes on the word. “I can't even do a somersault.”

TJ tilts his head like a confused puppy. Cyrus hates how cute it is, not that he's ever going to admit that. “You can't do a somersault?”

“No.” Cyrus is pretty sure he's blushing at this point. At least it's dark, so hopefully by some miracle TJ doesn't notice. He's oblivious anyway, Cyrus probably doesn't need to worry about it.

“I can help you with that,” is all TJ says before grabbing Cyrus’ hand and pulling him to the middle of the roof. He nudges Cyrus into position as he explains. “Okay, you're gonna lean forward - tuck your head in, land on your shoulders when you move - and use your arms to brace yourself when you push forward with your legs. Make sure to keep your shoulders straight and protect your head so you don't hurt yourself. Got it?”

Cyrus stares at him from where he's crouching on the ground. “Not really, no.”

TJ gives him a look that Cyrus can't read, but it almost looks teasing. “Just try it, Underdog.”

TJ steps out of the way, and Cyrus focuses on the ground in front of him like his life depends on it. He really doesn't want to humiliate himself by messing up something this simple when he's supposedly going to become a superhero. (What kind of hero can't even do a damn somersault? It's so easy for most people.) He just bites the bullet, so to speak, and pushes forward, bracing himself for the inevitable tumble that his attempts at somersaulting always result in.

Except it never comes. He doesn't fall. For the first time in his life, he actually does a somersault all the way through.

He just sits there for a second after, processing it, then he's jumping up and raising his arms in victory and TJ is giving him a celebratory chest bump and they're both being loud and borderline obnoxious as they cheer into the night sky. At some point TJ picks Cyrus up and spins him around, and it's all way too dramatic for a stupid somersault but Cyrus is proud of himself and he’s having _fun_. And it seems like TJ is, too.

After they've exhausted themselves with all the shouting and jumping around, Cyrus sits on the rooftop and looks up at the stars. TJ flops onto his back beside him, and his voice is so soft Cyrus can barely hear it when he says, “I’m proud of you.”

Cyrus hums. “Thanks, Teej.”

TJ smiles at the nickname. “Y’know, that's the closest you've ever come to actually saying my name.”

“Not true. I just called you the Scarlet Spider at lunch.”

“That doesn't count. I mean my real name.”

Cyrus lays back so he's right next to TJ, shoulders almost touching. He turns his head, and he’s surprised to see TJ already looking back at him. He feels like TJ can see into his soul. “You don't call me Cyrus, either.”

One corner of TJ’s mouth quirks up a little higher, leaving his smile lopsided and irritatingly perfect. He runs a hand through his hair, which is all fucked up anyway from the wind whipping it around his face. Cyrus has noticed that TJ doesn't gel his hair when he's the Scarlet Spider, probably because the mask would ruin it anyway. He looks better like this, more approachable. “I’ll call you Cyrus if you want me to, but you'll always be Underdog to me.”

Cyrus isn't sure how to take that, or how TJ wants him to take it, so he shrugs as well as he can while laying half on his side. “Call me whatever you want,” he says quietly.

“What is everyone else gonna call you?” TJ props himself up on an elbow so he isn't holding his neck in an awkward position anymore. “When you're saving the world, I mean.”

Cyrus looks up at him, furrowing his brow. “Well, I was thinking -”

He's cut off by someone else stepping onto the roof, the door to the stairs swinging loudly on its rusty hinges. Cyrus sits up abruptly, head swiveling to see who would possibly come up here at 9:30 on a Monday night, or ever for that matter. The guy walks into the glow of the lights from the surrounding buildings, but it doesn't help, because he's wearing all black and a mask. Cyrus can't make out any identifiable features, which is probably the point, but still.

He walks over to them, and Cyrus is considering his options (push the guy off the roof vs. making a run for it and seeing who can reach the stairs faster) but TJ seems unperturbed by their visitor. He even gives the guy a bro nod. Cyrus’ eyes just keep darting back and forth between the two of them.

The guy pulls off his mask, tossing it playfully at TJ, who calls him a dumbass and tells him he's late. Wait. Is this the person TJ wanted Cyrus to meet?

TJ just sticks his hand out, and when Cyrus takes it, TJ pulls him up to his feet. TJ slings his arm around Cyrus’ shoulders as the guy flips his shaggy blonde hair out of his face. They all just stand there for like, thirty seconds, and Cyrus isn't sure what they're waiting for.

He breaks the silence with a very articulate, “Hey.” He pauses, glancing at TJ before turning back to the guy. “Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i wonder who tj's friend could possibly be...such a mystery....
> 
> oh and just fyi there's no set update schedule bc i'm also working on my big bang fic but i'm gonna try to keep this momentum going ayye
> 
> (not that anybody cares but if you want faster updates leave comments tbh they fuel me)


	3. way up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk why this chapter ended up so long i just miss reed

* * *

TJ pats Cyrus’ shoulder as he says, “Underdog, this is Reed. Reed, this is Underdog.”

Cyrus rolls his eyes and sticks a hand out. “Cyrus is my actual name.” He ignores TJ’s huff of protest beside him.

Reed takes his hand, shaking it lightly with a smirk on his face that's almost as practiced as TJ’s. “Nice to meet you, Underdog Cyrus. TJ told me about you.”

Cyrus doesn't want to know what TJ told him, not really, so he just laughs awkwardly before changing the subject. “How do you know each other?” It seems like the logical next question, a safe thing to ask.

Reed says, “I’m his best friend,” at the same moment TJ blurts out, “He's my sidekick.” That earns TJ a kick in the shin from Reed, which he makes a big deal out of even if it wasn't that hard.

“You _broke_ my _leg,_ Reed! I thought we were friends!” he wails from where he’s dramatically leaning against Cyrus for support.

Reed remains unbothered. “Shut up, Teej, you just said I was only your sidekick. I see how it is. I thought what we had was _special._ ” He folds his arms, and Cyrus can't tell if it's an act of defiance or just plain petulance.

“Don't worry, I’m not replacing you. Underdog is just a friend, I swear!” TJ leans onto Cyrus’ shoulder even more as he says it, which Reed definitely notices, and rolls his eyes at.

He shoots Cyrus a look that says, “please make him stop,” and Cyrus doesn't really how he expects him to do that. So naturally Cyrus word vomits, like he always does under pressure. “Wait, sidekick? Do you have powers too?”

Reed glances at TJ, and they have a thirty second conversation without saying a word. “I’m still not his sidekick, but yeah. I do,” is all Reed says after a long stretch of silence.

TJ isn't leaning on Cyrus anymore, and in a weird way it makes Cyrus feel less supported even though he'd been the one holding TJ up, not the other way around. Maybe having TJ near him is comforting on some level because Cyrus knows TJ will always protect him. It's his job, after all. He's a superhero. The jury’s still out on Reed.

“Can you show me?” Cyrus asks tentatively, and Reed and TJ have another one of those silent discussions that only best friends can have.

TJ’s the one who answers him, taking a step toward Reed so he's more or less between them now. “He can if you want him to, but you should know...he isn't like us.”

Cyrus’ eyes light up at that. “He has different powers?”

TJ nods. He searches Cyrus’ face for a minute before turning to Reed and nodding again. “Show him.”

TJ steps off to the side, and Reed backs up another foot so there's a lot of space between him and Cyrus. Cyrus is about to ask what he's doing, but TJ jerks his head in Reed’s direction, and Cyrus obediently focuses on...whatever the fuck Reed is doing right now.

He’s hunched over a little, and some kind of oozy black stuff is moving over his skin, and it's so confusing and intriguing that Cyrus almost doesn't notice how much _bigger_ Reed’s gotten. He's like twice his normal size, holy shit. Why is he so buff? And why is he so -

Cyrus ignores that the moment the black goo reaches Reed’s face. It morphs into a mask (for lack of a better word) with big eyes and even bigger teeth and an impossibly bigger tongue. He's drooling everywhere, god. It's so gross, but also the coolest thing Cyrus has ever seen.

Then he notices the white symbol on Reed’s chest. “Woah, wait. Do you have spider powers too?”

He walks over to Reed, who shakes his head. Drops of spit fall off of his fangs onto Cyrus’ arm. “No. Alien powers.” His voice is a lot deeper, almost a growl.

Cyrus takes a second to ignore the change in tone and actually process Reed’s words, and then his eyes go wide. “Did you say _alien?_ ”

“Yeah.” Reed says it so nonchalantly, like Cyrus just asked him if it was going to rain tonight.

“How did this even happen? What were you doing around aliens? Are there more aliens out there? Do they all have -”

TJ walks up, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Slow down, Underdog. He’ll tell you.”

“It’s a long story,” Reed offers.

“I have all night,” is Cyrus’ reply. No way he's letting Reed get out of telling him how this happened.

Reed sighs, or at least Cyrus thinks it's a sigh but it's kind of hard to tell with the monster face and all. Alien face? Cyrus doesn't know what to call it, really. “My dad works security at Grant Research Center, you heard of it?”

Cyrus nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “I just did an internship there.”

A knowing look flashes across Reed’s face, but he doesn't dig any further. “So you know they do some pretty...controversial stuff there. Anyway, I forgot my house key one day so I stopped by to get a ride home with my dad, because his shift was over soon. I had some time to kill before he got off so I was dicking around in his office, and on one of the cameras I saw this - I don't know, this _thing_ moving around in one of the labs. It looked like it broke the glass to get out of its containment cell.

“I tried to find my dad but he was off dealing with something else, and being the amazing person that I am, I was like, ‘oh it's no biggie I’ll just go check it out myself.’ Which I did, and literally the second I stepped into the room the black stuff jumped on me and like, absorbed into my fucking skin.”

Cyrus nearly gasps as he realizes what Reed is saying. “Wait, that’s not a suit?”

Reed shakes his head, cocky smile plastered on his face. Or maybe it just looks cocky because of all the fangs and drool and everything. “Nah, it's a whole ass alien that lives inside of me. Pretty kickass, right?”

“That's so much cooler than my story!” Cyrus agrees. “But how does it work? Like what can you do?”

“I don't know how it works,” Reed says. “I've never been big on science, and I didn't tell anybody what happened so it's not like I could ask anyone at the lab. I think it's like, a parasite? No, wait. A ‘symbiotic relationship,’ is what it's called. My dad was talking about it going missing, and he told me it was probably looking for something to feed off of, or whatever.”

Cyrus nods his head thoughtfully. “Oh yeah, that makes sense. You're its host.”

“Basically. But it's cool now, we’re bros.”

Cyrus looks at him like he's lost his mind. “You're bros with the alien lifeform that currently lives inside of you and turns you into a monster with giant teeth?”

Reed smirks again, and it's just as annoying as when TJ does it, but for different reasons. Reed always looks like he's up to something, and it kind of puts Cyrus on edge in an exhilarating sort of way. “Yeah. He's cool. His name’s Venom, which is why it's my superhero name.”

Cyrus drags a hand down his face. “Your superhero name is Venom? That sounds so evil, dude.”

“At least it's not as lame as the Scarlet Spider!” Reed says loudly in the general direction of TJ, who's been silently watching the whole exchange.

TJ smirks back at him, eyes narrowing in resolve. “I'm way cooler than you and you know it!” he says as he jogs up to punch Reed in the shoulder. It doesn't affect him, obviously, because he's a huge buff alien, but the intent is there.

“How about we let Cyrus decide?” Reed suggests, and TJ’s eyebrows shoot up.

He turns to Cyrus. “You up for it, Underdog?”

“Up for what?” Cyrus has to ask, because he’s still really bad at following TJ’s thought processes, and Reed is definitely not helping him decipher that particular mystery.

“Watch us fight, see who's cooler,” Reed says like that isn't a terrifying proposition.

TJ can clearly see the look of alarm on Cyrus’ face, because he's quick to clarify, “Hey, it's cool. We do this all the time, it's how we train.” Does he really think that will make Cyrus feel better?

Reed shrugs. “You wanted to see what I can do, right?”

And, well. Cyrus can't argue there. He eyes the two of them, but he doesn't know what he's searching for so he can't tell if he finds it. He just sighs and says, “Alright.”

The shit-eating grins that immediately find their way onto TJ and Reed’s faces make Cyrus instantly regret agreeing to this.

-

“Okay, okay, stop!”

TJ and Reed both whip their heads around to look at Cyrus where he's sitting on the railing at the edge of the roof. “What's up, Underdog?” TJ asks loudly despite the fact Reed currently has him in a headlock and his feet are about a foot off the ground.

“I get it, you both have really cool powers. Can you quit now?” He looks down at his phone. “It's been like, an hour and neither one of you has even come close to winning.”

“Is that an insult?” Reed says, and Cyrus thinks he's trying to sound wounded but his scary monster face ruins that.

Cyrus hops down from the railing and walks over to them, looking up to meet their eyes as he slips his phone back in his pocket. “No, I'm just saying you're too evenly matched. This will never end.”

TJ laughs. “It always ends eventually.”

Cyrus cocks an eyebrow. “Do either of you ever win?”

TJ and Reed look at each other, then shrug. “I used to win all the time.”

Reed tightens his choke hold on TJ. “That's because my powers were new! I was still figuring them out, you dick.”

TJ laughs even harder, and Cyrus wonders how he's even still breathing at this point. “Just put him down, Reed. This is pointless.”

Reed drops TJ abruptly, but he lands solidly on his feet anyway. Superhero reflexes, and all. “So what do you think we should do, then?” TJ asks, unfazed.

Cyrus furrows his brow. He hadn't really thought about it. “Uh, I think -”

“We should fight _you!_ ” Reed says with an alarming amount of eagerness.

TJ levels him with a look. “Are you sure that's a good idea?”

Reed puts one of his arms around Cyrus’ shoulders, and oh my god, it’s so heavy. Cyrus slouches under the weight. “What, you don't think you can take him?”

“No, but he hasn't fought anyone before. Shouldn't we teach him first?”

“Dude, he got bitten by a super spider, just like you. I think he's good.”

“Uhm, excuse me?” Cyrus cuts in, waving a hand to get their attention. “Don't you care what I want to do?”

TJ and Reed both look at him for a beat, then nod. “Go ahead, Underdog. Tell us what you want.”

Cyrus sets his shoulders (as well as he can with Reed leaning on him) and says, “I want to fight Reed,” and he does a decent job of sounding confident in his own potential.

Cyrus is pretty sure he sees the full range of human emotions flash across TJ’s face in the span of five seconds. Reed just looks like he has for the past hour and a half. Apparently aliens don't have a lot of facial expressions to work with. “Why Reed?” TJ finally chokes out.

Cyrus smiles, and TJ immediately looks even more uneasy. “Because I know he won't go easy on me.” TJ starts to protest, but Cyrus ignores him. “Plus, he has different powers. It would be boring to fight you, Teej.”

Reed cracks up at that, and his laughter sounds mildly demonic but at least Cyrus knows he's on board. “Damn, TJ was right. You _are_ funny,” he says as he wipes imaginary tears from his eyes. TJ just pouts.

“For the record, I wouldn't go easy on you. But fine, go for it.” He says it like a little kid who's being left out of a game at recess. It's actually kind of cute, even if he is a dumbass.

Now TJ moves over to the railing, but he crouches on it, bracing himself with his hands, instead of sitting on it like any normal person would. Though, now that Cyrus thinks about it, none of them are normal, are they?

Reed moves away from Cyrus, putting a few feet between them so they have some room to work with. He tenses, ready to start on TJ’s mark, and Cyrus doesn't have any idea what a battle stance should look like but he moves his body into some approximation of what Reed is doing. He doesn't think it's really having the same effect, and it's uncomfortable, so he just gives up after a couple tries and stands there lamely.

TJ stands up on the railing, cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. “Okay fighters, square up! You know the rules - don't pull your punches, but don't kill each other either! I'm not taking your ass to the hospital tonight.” He shoots Reed a glare, and Cyrus really doesn't want to know the story behind that. “Keep it on the roof, but anything up here is fair game. If I see it start to get too dirty I’m calling it! Got it?”

Reed just lets out a terrifying alien roar at the same time Cyrus says, “Got it, Teej!” and gives him a thumbs up.

TJ nods at them, lifting a hand up. “3, 2, 1 - _go!_ ” he shouts as he shoots a web into the air.

Cyrus has no clue what he's doing. He really did not think this through at all, did he? He isn't usually this impulsive, but he doesn't have time to dwell on it because Reed is already charging toward him, fangs bared (not that they really fit in his mouth anyway), claws out and aimed right at Cyrus’ torso. Cyrus runs.

He ends up running right toward TJ, right toward the railing, right over the edge of the roof as TJ jumps out of the way. Cyrus clings to the side of the building, crawling across it at record speed in an attempt to put as much distance between himself and Reed as possible.

Then the wall shakes under Reed’s weight as he jumps down and digs his claws into the bricks, and he’s catching up a lot faster than Cyrus expected, given his size. Shit.

“Hey, keep it on the roof! Up here!” TJ snaps from where he's hanging upside down off the railing. He’s probably worried someone will see them, especially since Cyrus doesn't even have a mask to hide his face.

Cyrus sighs, shooting a web and swinging back up onto the roof in a much smoother motion than he thought he was capable of. Reed’s not far behind him, landing heavily on the gravel before sprinting right at Cyrus.

“Underdog, quit running! Get on the offensive!” TJ yells from his perch several feet away. He's staying near the edge of the roof to avoid getting in the way. “Reed’s faster than you unless you use your webs!”

And Cyrus has to admit TJ is right. There's no way he'll get anywhere like this, and even if the spider bite made him a lot stronger he still can't compete with alien speed. Or strength, for that matter. He has to fight smart. The only problem is, he has no fucking clue what the smart thing to do is in this situation.

Cyrus prides himself on being a fairly intelligent person, but “what to do when the basketball captain’s alien best friend is attacking you” isn't exactly a topic that comes up often in school. Or ever. He’s gotta figure this one out as he goes, which he doesn't typically enjoy doing, but it's alright. Reed won't actually hurt him.

Or maybe he will, because while Cyrus is standing there contemplating his next move Reed has already closed the distance and smacked him in the back with a giant hand. He didn't use his claws, but it still knocks the wind out of Cyrus, and sends him flying forward with the sheer force of it.

“That's one hit for Reed! Underdog, you better step it up!”

Cyrus coughs a little as he catches his breath, and he knows this is going to be more work than he anticipated when he sees Reed already moving to strike again. Cyrus manages to backflip out of the way of Reed’s arm, but he - Wait. Backflip?

“See, I told you we could do backflips! You did it all by yourself!” TJ calls as he's jumping excitedly on the railing.

Cyrus turns to TJ, eyes wide. “How did I do that?”

Reed is the one who answers as he kicks Cyrus’ feet out from underneath him. “A spider bite gave you the ability to shoot web out of your fucking hands, and you still think you can't do a backflip?”

“Another hit for Reed!” TJ announces as Cyrus lays on the floor trying to breathe again. “And Underdog, agility is like, the most basic superpower, c’mon.”

Cyrus is thankful for that the next moment when Reed moves to punch him where he's still splayed out on the ground, and Cyrus rolls out of the way just before his fist smashes into the rooftop. It leaves a dent in the concrete, holy shit. If Reed had actually landed a punch Cyrus would be a pulpy smear on the ground.

“Use your spidey sense!” TJ yells as Cyrus stands up and shoots a web, swinging away to the other side of the roof.

“My _what?_ ”

“Y’know, that sixth sense the spider bite gave you!”

Reed lets out another nightmare laugh. “Oh my god, remember when you used to call it your TJ tingle? That was fucking great,” he teases as he runs toward Cyrus.

“Shut up, Reed!” is a pretty underwhelming comeback, but Cyrus is too busy shooting webs at Reed’s face to even register what TJ is saying.

Reed claws at the web on his eyes, letting out another one of those horrifying roars that would send Cyrus into a panic attack if he didn't know the Reed beneath the alien suit. Or whatever it is. The science of it all is kind of fucked up.

He bought himself some time with the whole blinding Reed thing, and Cyrus knows he has to act fast if he's going to take advantage of that. He shoots another web, tying Reed’s arms down so he can't get the web off of his face. Or well, he tries to. Reed frees himself almost instantly.

Cyrus looks around for any other sources of inspiration, and his eyes fall on the railing where TJ is still standing. He shoots a web at it, which earns him a weird look from TJ but he barely notices it. Cyrus has no idea how strong his webbing is, but he's about to find out.

Reed finally gets the web out of his eyes, and lunges toward Cyrus with both arms out like he's going to strangle him. (Which he wouldn't really do. Probably.) Right before he lands a hit, Cyrus jumps up, landing lightly on his shoulder and shooting another web that he wraps around Reed’s chest. Then he attaches it to the web stuck to the railing, and jumps off of Reed, landing several feet away. Reed bares his teeth, drooling even more as he runs at Cyrus, and this is the moment of truth. Cyrus really hopes his webbing is as strong as he thinks it is.

It is. Just a foot before he reaches Cyrus, Reed gets clotheslined by the web and falls onto his back. He doesn't move, just lays there. Cyrus is afraid to walk up to him, but apparently TJ isn't.

“Damn, Reed, he got you,” he says as he pulls Reed up by the hand, then turns to Cyrus. “Not bad for your first fight, Underdog!”

Cyrus walks over to them. “Are you okay?” he asks Reed, because he kind of cracked his head on the concrete when he fell.

“Never been better,” he says as he quite visibly shakes it off.

“You could've gotten up. Why didn't you?” Cyrus asks, because Reed is clearly a better fighter than he is. And way more experienced.

Reed shrugs. “I’m not trying to kill you, just give you some practice.” Yeah, he has a point there.

“So,” TJ says, looking at Cyrus again. Reed moves off to the side to get rid of his alien skin and go back to his normal, relatively non-threatening state. “You want in on this?”

Cyrus gives him a blank look. “On what?”

“Being a hero,” TJ answers like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Cyrus hesitates. “Do you think I’m ready?”

Reed walks back up to them in all his human glory, and laughs. It sounds much less terrorizing now that he isn't a literal monster. “Nah, you're nowhere near ready.”

TJ hits Reed in the chest. “Stop,” he says sharply before turning back to Cyrus. “What he means is, you're not ready to be a hero yet. But you will be, if you practice.”

“And you want me to practice by doing actual hero stuff?”

TJ smiles at him. “Yeah. Experience is the best teacher, or whatever.”

Reed nods in agreement, then tilts his head. “You need a hero name, though.”

Cyrus looks down at the ground, kicking a piece of gravel with his toe. “I did think about that.” He looks up, meeting TJ’s eyes to gauge his reaction. “What do you think of Spider-man?”

Reed says, “It's not as cool as Venom,” the same moment TJ asks, “Did you come up with that yourself?”

Cyrus ignores Reed, as does TJ. “Yeah, I did.”

“Niceberg.” Cyrus doesn't know what that means, but TJ sticks his hand out for a fist bump so he guesses TJ approves.

“What about a suit though?” Reed cuts in.

TJ nods. “You can't let people see your face. Do you need help making one? I can -”

Cyrus smiles, cutting TJ off with a shake of his head. “No. Actually, I think I know someone who’d be perfect for that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh my original plan was for reed to just be tj's friend who stole his dad's gun and tagged along with the scarlet spider so y'all have alex to thank for venom reed bc clearly i am a fool
> 
> also i forgot to mention you can find me on [tumblr](http://mullettj.tumblr.com) come say hi!!


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